Circular-knitting machine.



E. H. WALKER.

CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. I6, 1913.

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Patented July 6, 1915.

E. H. WALKER.

CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE. APPLICATlON FILED JAN. 16, #913.

Patented July 6, 1915.

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E. H. WALKER.

CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN, 16, 1913.

1,145,191 a Patented July 6, 1915.

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CIRCULAR KNlTTl NG MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 16, 1913. l l t5 llg Patented July 6,1915.

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E. H. WALKER.

CIRCULAR KNlTTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 16, 1913.

Patented July 6, 1915.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 5 gig LMHSJQL lUNllED TATE I EVERETT H. WALKER, OF LOWELL, MA$SACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR T LA'WRENCE MAN'U FAGTURING COMPANY, OF LOWELL, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION 0F MASSA- GHUSETTS.

CIRCULAR-KNITTING MACHINE.

mentor.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed January 16, 1913. Serial 11o. M2391.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EVERETT H. WALKER, citizen of the United States, residing at Lowell, in the county of Essex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Circular-Knitting Machines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The invention relates to that class of circular knitting machines in which the needles are operated upon by cams and devices arranged about the cylinder, the relative movements between the needles and needle operating devices requisite for knitting a tubu lar fabric provided at intervals with heel and-toe pockets being produced by-rotary and reciprocatory movements. of either the needle cylinder or the support or cylinder on which the needle operating devices are mounted.

The invention is intended primarily as an improvement in the machine shown and. described in the patents to Hemphill, No. 933,442, September 7 1909, and No. 935,981, October 5, 1909, and known as the Banner machine. It will be understood, however, that the invention is not limited in its application to this machine, and that certain features of the invention may be embodied in other constructions and other forms of circular knitting machines adapted for knitting seamless hosiery. In the Banner machine, as is usual in this type of knitting machine, the change of the knitting motion from rotary to reciprocatory and back to rotary, and the throwing into and out of operation of the devices for raising or lowering the long butt or instep needles, and the throwing into and out of operation of the devices for raising and lowering individual needles for narrowing and widening, are effected by controlling cams on a cam shaft which is fed forward or advanced at proper intervals and which makes one revolution during the knitting of each stocking. The controller cam shaft also carries the cams for actuating the yarn guides and yarn cutter to change and sever the yarn at certain parts of the stocking. With this construction the points at which, and

the frequency with which the yarn may he changed, islimited, since the proper operation of the needle controller cams requires the cam shaft to be advanced at certain definite intervals, and also requires that the movements given to the cam shaft shall be in the same sequence for each stocking.

It is the object of the present invention to provide an improved mechanism for actuating the yarn guides and the yarn cuttel 'to change the yarn and sever the withdrawn yarn which will enable the yarn. to be changed and severed at any desired point or points in the knitting of the stocking.

it is a further object to provide a mechanism of th1s character the operation of which may be varied to vary the point at lowing detailed description of the mechanism illustrated therein.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a side ele ation showing a Banner machine provided with the present improvements; Fig 2 is a front elevation partly in section; Eig. is a plan view showing the yarn guiding, cutting and holding devices; Fig. 4 is vertical sectional view on line .2- l, Fig. 3 Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional vi :W on line 5-5, Fig. 3; Fig. 6 is a detail side elevation showing a part of the m chanism for operating the yarn guides and the yarn cutter to change and sever he yarn; and Fig. 7 is a sectional plan view on line 77, Fig. 6.

As shown in the drawings, the invention is embodied in the Banner machine herein' before referred to, and )nly so much of that machine has been illustrated as is neces sary to understand the application of the present improvement th ereto.

The needle cylinder the plate 2 carry-v ing the knitting cams, the cams for throw-' which the yarn is changed and severed with- I lot ing the long butt or instep needles into and out of action, the narrowing and widening pickers, and the devices for throwing them into and out of action, are all the same and are operated in the same manner as in the Banner machine fully described in the patent to Hemphill, No. 933,443.. The needle cylinder is driven through a bevel gear 3 which is secured to a driving shaft 4, and the knitting motion is changed by a motionohanging clutch 5 as in the Banner machine. The machine is provided with a controller cam shaft 6 which carries the cam 7 'for changing the knitting motion, the speed 11 pivoted to the oscillating segment 12 of the cylinder reciprocating mechanism. The pawl 11 is arrangedto engage teeth formed on a ratchet wheel 13 secured to the cam shaft, and the pawl is held normally out of engagement with the teeth of the ratchet wheel by the rear end of a controller lever 14. The front end of the controller lever. is

provided with a laterally projecting finger 15 arranged to be engaged by lugs '16 on a pattern chain 17 which is carried by a sprocket" wheel loosely mounted on the cam shaft and connected with a ratchet wheel 18. The pattern chain is fed forward during the operation of the machine by a pawl 19 connected with the oscillating segment 12 and arranged to engage the ratchet wheel and advance it a single tooth during each reciprocation of the segment. When one of the lugs-16 engages the finger 15 on the controller lever 14, the rear end of the lever is depressed so that the pawl 11 engages the teeth on the ratchet wheel 13 and advances the controller cam shaft one or two steps, as the case may be. The construction and operation of this mechanism is that of the corresponding mechanisin in the Banner ma chine. The yarns are led to the needles through eyes formed in the front ends of the yarn guides 20, 21, 22 and 22.

and 22 respectively so that they will be raised and lowered by the guides 21 and 22 if not supported in raised position. For convenience in describing the mode of operation of the yarn changing devices, it will be assumed that a black yarn- B is led through the eye at the end of the yarn guide 21, a reinforce black. yarn Z is led through the eye at the end of the yarn guide 20. a

, wiaite yarn W is led through the eye at the end of t e yarn guide 22, and that a rein- 4 The ends of guides 20 and 22. overlap guides 21 force. white yarn w is led through the eye at the end of the yarn guide 22. The yarn guides consist of levers pivoted at 23 to the latch ring 24 and acted upon by springs 25 which tend to hold them .in depressed or active position against asupporting plate 26. The yarn guides are raised against the tension of the springs 25 to withdraw the yarns carried thereby from the needles by vlevers 27 connected by cords 28 with levers 29, 30, 31 and 31, which are arranged with their front ends overlying a drum 32 on the controller cam shaft. The lever 29 which actuates the yarn guide 20 carrying the reinforce yarn b is arranged to engage and be actuated by cam ribs 33 on the drum 32,

the cam ribs being arranged to lift the front end of the lever 29 and thus raise the yarn guide 20 and withdraw the reinforce yarn from the needles during the knitting of the leg and foot of the stocking. The lever 31 may be actuated by a similar cam to withdraw the reinforce yarn 10 at the desired part of the stocking. As thus far described, the yarn changing guides and the devices through which they are operated are the same in construction and arrangement as the corresponding devices in the Banner machine.

When the yarn ,is withdrawn from the needles by the upward movement of one of the yarn guides, the yarn which is thus withdrawn is severed and the end is held until the yarn is again presented to the needles. The yarn severing devices comprise a cutter blade 34 mounted within the needles upon a bar 35 carried by the latch ring 24. The cutter blade is pivoted upon the bar and cooperates with the rear under edge of the bar in severing the yarn after it has been Withdrawn from the needles. The cutter blade is'provided with an upwardly extending arm 36 which is connected by a link 37 with the inner end of a lever 35,

lever 40 is connected by a link 42 with a third lever 43 which is rocked to open the cutter blade when the yarn is to be Withdrawn, and to close the cutter .blade and sever the yarn after it has been carried over the blade by the rotation of the needle cylinder. The devices for holding the yarn until it is again presented to the needles comprise a plate 44' projecting from the bar 35, and a cooperating clamping arm 45 which is pivotally supported on the'bar and is held in engagement with the pi te by a spring 46. The arm 45 is providedwith an inclined finger 47 which directs the yarn under the arm as the needle cylinder i to withdraw the yarn from the needles.

The cutter Ltd medial so that the yarn guides and yarn cutter may be actuated to change and sever-the yarn at any time during the knitting of the stocking, and without disturbing the setting or timing of the controller cam shaft. In its preferred construction, this means c'omprises yarn changing and cutter operating cams which are operated independently of the controller cam shaft, and the operation of which is independently controlled from the pattern chain.

As shown, the yarn changing cam comprises a" series of cam plates 48 and 49 secured to the front face of a ratchet disk 50 and arran ed to engage apin 51 projecting laterally rom a lever 52. The pin is carproper relation to the cam plates on the disk. The upper end of the lever is connected by a link 54 with an arm 55 secured to the outer end of a rock shaft 56. The rock shaft extends transversely above the rear ends of the levers 30 and 31 and is provided with two oppositely projecting arms 57 and 58 which are arranged to engage and actuate said levers. The cutter operating cam comprises a disk secured to the rear face of the ratchet disk 50 and provided with a series of cam teeth 59 arranged to engage a lateral projection 60 on the upper end of an arm 61. The arm 61 is adjustably' secured in a socket 62 secured to one end of a rock shaft 63. The other end of the rock shaft is provided with a rearwardly projecting arm 64 which is connected by a link 65 with the cutter operating lever 43.

The ratchet disk 50 is loosely mounted on a stud 66 which is conveniently screwed into the end of the cam shaft 6. The disk is held from rotation by a spring pawl 67 arranged to engage the teeth which are formed on the periphery of the disk. The disk is actuated at proper intervals by a pawl 68 pivoted to an arm 69 which is secured to the end of a rock shaft 70 which carries the oscillating segment 12. The pawl 68 is normally held 9 out of engagement with the teeth of the disk by a finger 71 which projects laterally from a lever 72 and underlies the pawl. The lever 72 is pivoted on the stud which supports the controller lever 14, and is provided at its front end with a laterally projecting finger 73 which overlies the edge .of the" patternchain. Certain links of thee wttern chain 'tation of the cam cylinder.

are provided with lugs 74 arranged to engage the projecting finger 73 and lift the forward end of the lever 72. When one of these links is carried under the finger 73 by the forward feed of the pattern chain, the lever 72 is rocked to allow the pawl 68 to engage the teeth on the disk 50, so that the disk is adreciprocation of the segment 12 and the rock shaft 70. I

When the parts are in the position indicated in the drawings, with the pin 51 resting against the outer side of one of the plates 48, the arm 54 is in a position to depress the rear end of the lever 31, and thus raise the yarn guide 22 so that the white yarn is held out of engagement with the needles. At this time the arm 57 is raised vanced a distance of one tooth during the so that the rear end of the lever 30 is free to rise, and the yarn guide 21 is therefore held down by its spring 25 in position to feed the black yarn B to the. needles. if the controller cam shaft is in the position indicated, the rear end of the lever 29 is also free to rise, so that the yarn guide 20 for the reinforce yarn b will be held down by its spring 25 in position to feed the reinforce yarn to the needles. When the yarn is to be changed a lug 74 on the pattern chain strikes the front end of the lever-72, thus allowing the actuating pawl 68 to advance the ratchet disk 50 a distance of one tooth. During this-movement of the cam disk the pin 51 engages the front end of the plate 49 and is carried inward so that it rests against the inner edge of the plate 49. The movement thus im parted to the lever 52 rocks the rock shaft 56 in a direction to depress the arm 57 so that it depresses the rear end of the lever 30 and raises the yarn guide 21 to withdraw the black yarns B and b from the needles. The same movement of the rock shaft raises the arm 58 so that the rear end of the lever 31 is free to rise and the yarn guides 22 and 22 are moved down by their spring 25 to deliver the white yarn to the needles, the guide 22 being free of the cam on the controller cam shaft 6 at this time. During the forward movement of the ratchet disk 50, the cam tooth 59 swings the arm 61 in a direction to open the cutter blade, and holds the blade in open position until the yarn has been changed and the withdrawn yarn has been carried overthe cutter blade-by the ro- As the ratchet disk completes its forward movement the projection 60 on the end of the arm 61 rides off the end of the cam tooth 59, so that the cutter is quickly closed by its spring to sever the black yarn. The white yarn is now fed to the needles until the ratchet disk -50 is again moved, when the rock shaft 56in again actuated to depress the lever ,31 and sent the black yarn to the needles, and the cutter is opened and closed to receive and sever the white yarn.

By properly arranging the lugs 74 on the pattern chain, the yarn may be changed from black to White, or White to black, and the Withdrawn yarn severed by the cutter, at any point in the knitting of the stocking.

Any desired change in the operation of the yarn changing mechanism may be readily made by changing or shifting the links of 'the pattern chain which are provided With the lugs 7 4. While it is preferred to employ the construction and arrangement of parts shown v and described, especially in embodying the invention in a Banner machine, since this construction and arrangement can readily be embodied in existing machines Without change or reorganization of the parts, it will.

be understood that this construction and arrangement is not essential to the broader features of the invention, and may be varied and modified to suit the requirements of the machine in Which the invention is to be embodied. v

Having explained the nature and object of the invention, and specifically described one form of machine in which it may be embodied, what is claimed is 1. A circular knitting machine,having, in combination, a needle cylinder, needle actuating cams, mechanism for relatively rotating and reciprocating the needle cylinder andactuating cams, a shaftcarrying cams for controlling the action of the needle actuating cams on the needles, yarn guides, a yarn cutter, mechanism actuated independently of the controller cam shaft for operating the guides to change the yard fed to the needles and for operating" the cutter to sever the withdrawnyarn, mechanism for actuating the controller cam shaft, and pattern mechanism for controlling said actuating mechanisms.

2. A circular knitting machine, having, in combination, a needle cylinder, needle actuating cams, mechanism for relatively rotatring and reciprocating the needle cylinder and cams, a cam shaft carrying cams for controlling the *action of the needle actuatvices, yarn severing devices, actuating mechanism for the controller cam shaft, a pattern chain for controlling the actuating mechanism, and actuating mechanism for the yarn changing and yarn severing devices independent of the controller cam shaft and independently controlled from the pattern chain.

4. A circular knitting machine, having, in combination, knitting cylinders, cams and connections for controlling the knitting, mechanism for actuating the controller cams, yarn changing devices, yarn severing devices, cams movable independently of the controller cams for actuating the yarn changing and the yarn severing devices to change and sever the yarn, mechanism for actuating the yarn changing and yarn severing cams, mechanism for actuating the controller cams, and pattern mechanism for controlling said actuating mechanisms.

5. A circular knitting machine, having, in

combination, knitting cylinders, cams and connections for controlling the knitting,

mechanism for actuating the controller cams, a pattern chain for controlling the actuating mechanism, yarn changing devices, yarn severing devices, cams movable independently of the controller cams for actuating the yarn changing and the yarn severing devices, and mechanism independent of the controller cams and independently controlled from the pattern chain for actuating the yarn changing and yarn severing cams.-

6. A circular knitting machine, having, in combination, a needle cylinder, needle actuating cams, mechanism for re'atively rotat-- ing and reciprocating the needle cylinder and cams, controller cams for controlling the action of the needle actuating cams on the needles, yarn guides, a yarn cutter, cams movable independently of the controller cams, connections between the cams and the yarn guides and cutter, mechanism for intermittently operating the cams, mechanism for operating the controller cams, and pattern mechanism for controlling said operating mechanisms.

7. A circular knitting n ichine, having, in combination, a needle cylinder, needle actuating cams, mechanism for relatively rotating and reciprocating the needle cylinder and cams, yarn changing devices, a yarn cutter, a cam disk carrying a series of cams 48 and 49 for operating the yarn changing devices, a series of cams 59 connected to move With the disk for operating the cutter, mechanism for intermittently actuating the disk, mechanism for actuating the controller cams. and pattern mechanism for controlling said actuating mechanisms.

8. A circular knitting machine, having, in combination, a rotary needle cylinder, needle actuating cams, a shaft carrying cams for controlling the action of the needle actuating cams on the needles, yarn guides, levers connected to actuate the guides, a rock shaft having arms arranged to alternately operate the levers, a yarn cutter, a cam connected to actuate the rock shaft, a cam connected to actuate the cutter, mechanism for actuating 

